You were able to hail a cab in the street? Lucky you. I've had cabbies refuse to take me to where I want to go. I've called cab companies, told them where I am, and they refuse to come pick me up. I've seen a cab turn down an elderly couple want to go across town because his "meter was broken", but 2 minutes later take a fare that just went a couple blocks. And I'm a white male. Minorities have an even harder problem getting cabs.

Depending on where you live, cabs are not always something that is just as easy or reliable as Uber/Lyft/Sidecar/etc. When I'm unable to get home for whatever reason, I need a service I can rely on.